something more than that the
matter here. I made a passing allusion to your marriage, Ada--that it
had surprised me a little, more especially as I had known your husband
so well, and had not imagined you were so ambitious. Whereupon Eugen
turned on me and defended you in the warmest manner. Said you had been
sacrificed for him, and left me quite bewildered by his passionate words
and insinuations."

"You should not have paid any attention to him," said Adelheid, with
noticeable uneasiness. "Such a young hothead sees the tragical side of
everything. What was it he did say?"

"Really nothing. He said you had made him promise to say nothing without
your permission, but that he hated his brother-in-law. What does it all
mean?"

The young wife was silent; this talk was anything but pleasant to her.
The colonel looked at her searchingly, while he continued:

"You know it is not my habit to force myself into others' secrets. I
take little interest, now-a-days, in the doings of my neighbors, but the
honor of my oldest friend is called into question by the insinuation of
a boy. I had no patience with Eugen, and told him to go to Wallmoden
and threaten him if he had anything to say. His answer was: 'O, Herr von
Wallmoden would explain the thing by calling it diplomatic; he has shown
himself a great diplomat. Ask Ada, let her tell you her experience.' So
I did as he bade me, I asked you, but as you will say nothing, I have no
alternative but to speak to your husband. For I cannot keep silence
concerning such insulting remarks."

He spoke without excitement, in a measured, cold tone, as if, while a
matter of no moment to himself, he felt it his duty to interrogate his
friend's wife.

"Pray don't mention it to Herbert, I beg of you," Adelheid said,
hastily. "I will tell you myself. Eugen has been carried away by his
temper; he has taken the affair too much to heart from the beginning.
There was nothing dishonorable in it."

"I supposed that when Wallmoden had to do with it," the colonel
interrupted with marked emphasis.

Adelheid lowered her voice, but she avoided the colonel's eye as she
continued:

"You know that I was not engaged to Herbert until after our year's
residence in Florence. My father was very ill and his physicians ordered
him to Italy for the winter. We went to Florence for a couple of months;
our farther movements were to depend upon my father's condition. My
brother accompanied, us and when the winter